Pre Playoff Third Fav Cavs one loss away from elimination
Big odds updates expected as Cavaliers crash to third defeat in four games leaving them on the brink of elimination against the Pacers. Elsewhere OKC beat Denver to level their series two games apiece.
At time of publishing the futures odds for winning the 2024/25 NBA Championships look like this:
OKC: best odds 2.5 (in from 2.88 yesterday)
Boston: best odds 3.5 (no change)
Minnesota: best odds 11 (in from 10)
Indiana: best odds 15 (in from 29)
Cleveland: best odds 16 (out from 6.5)
Denver: best odds 21 (out from 12)
New York: best odds 23 (out from 21)
Golden State: best odds 71 (no change)
THUNDER 92, NUGGETS 87
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Thunder, odds 1.361
Line: Thunder (-6.5), odds 1.881
Total Points: Under (228) odds 1.904
Pre-game Prediction
Thunder, 66.3%
Nuggets, 33.7%
Western Conference Semifinal series is tied 2-2
DENVER (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder finally outplayed Denver in crunch time, beating the Nuggets 92-87 on Sunday to knot their second-round series at two games apiece.
The Thunder trailed 69-63 after three quarters and fell behind by eight when Peyton Watson started the fourth quarter by swishing a hook shot. But Oklahoma City used an 11-0 run fueled by reserves Cason Wallace, who had a pair of 3-pointers, and Aaron Wiggins, who added another, to take control.
Wallace’s second 3-pointer put Oklahoma City ahead for good at 75-73.
The Nuggets had outlasted the youngest team in the NBA with wins in Games 1 and 3, crediting their playoff experience and championship pedigree. And they looked poised to put the top-seeded team in the West on the cusp of elimination when Aaron Gordon’s turnaround jumper made it 73-66.
This time, however, it was the Thunder who came up big down the stretch and the Nuggets who fumbled away the chance to put OKC in a 3-1 hole.
Game 5 is Tuesday night back in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder had a 43-point blowout of the Nuggets in Game 2 .
Nikola Jokic led Denver with 27 points and 13 rebounds. Christian Braun and Jamal Murray each had 17 points and Gordon scored 15. Michael Porter Jr. scored just three points after scoring 15 Friday night.
Wiggins and Wallace each added 11 points and Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams each scored 10. Williams was 2 for 13 from the floor after scoring 32 in Game 3.
NBA's Top 5 Plays of the Night - May 11 - NBA Playoff Semifinals
PACERS 129, CAVALIERS 109
Betting Results:
Head to Head: Pacers, odds 2.846
Line: Pacers (+5.5), odds 1.918
Total Points: Under (230.5) odds 1.93
Pre-game Prediction
Cavaliers, 62.7%
Pacers, 37.3%
Knicks lead the Eastern Conference Semifinal series 2-0
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and Indiana tied an NBA playoff record by taking a 41-point halftime lead before routing top-seeded Cleveland for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pacers can earn a second straight trip to the East finals with a victory Tuesday in Cleveland, where they won the first two games.
Indiana jumped to an 80-39 lead at halftime and led by 44 points. The 41-point lead matched the margin Cleveland set in Game 2 of the 2017 Eastern Conference finals against Boston, according to Sportradar.
And Indiana did it mostly without Bennedict Mathurin, one of its top playoff scorers, who was ejected just 7 1/2 minutes into the game for a flagrant foul.
Darius Garland led the Cavs with 21 points and Donovan Mitchell had 12 points despite not playing in the second half because of a left ankle injury. Coach Kenny Atkinson said his All-Star guard would have an MRI exam Monday.
